Child Of Music Read Free Page B

justify your being trained for a public career. And for that it would be necessary for you to go to a special school, one where all your education was geared to that end.'
    'Somewhere like the Tarkman School, you mean?' Janet said coolly.
    'Oh, you know about that?'
    Janet nodded, and then added astonishingly, 'My aunt knows Mr. Tarkman.'
    'Your aunt does? But I didn't know you had any family at all, Janet.'
    'Only my aunt. And she doesn't like me,' Janet explained unemotionally. 'I don't like her either,' she added without heat. 'I wouldn't have wanted to live with her after my — after I was left alone. And she said she didn't want me either.'
    'Did she?' said Felicity before she could stop herself. But then she realized that, intriguing though this subject might be, it was quite an unsuitable one to discuss further with a child. So she reverted to the subject of the school instead and explained that for some while she had been considering the possibility of getting Janet into the Tarkman School.
    'I'd like that!' The plain little face lit up and Janet took off her glasses and gazed eagerly at Felicity with her beautiful, short-sighted eyes. 'Would there be — any chance?'
    'Frankly, I don't know,' Felicity admitted. 'But personally I think it's worth applying, though I had to find how you felt about it first. Now that you tell me your aunt knows Mr. Tarkman—'
    'But I told you, she doesn't like me,' Janet explained patiently.
    'You might be mistaken about that,' Felicity smiled. 'The fact that she didn't feel able to have you live with her might have depended on circumstances beyond her control, you know. She would almost certainly be interested in a member of her family who showed marked talent and—'
    Then Felicity stopped. Because instead of her tactful words producing any reaction on or fresh information from Janet, it had become obvious that the little girl had politely withdrawn into her own thoughts until Miss Grainger should have talked herself out on a subject she did not understand.
    Felicity laughed exasperatedly and for a moment knew what it was about Janet which annoyed Mary Elliott.
    'All right, Janet, I'll see what I can do. I'll have a word with Mrs. Bush first.'
    In the event, Mrs. Bush proved considerably more interested than Felicity had expected, though she uttered a word of caution against raising the child's hopes too high.
    'She's had enough emotional upset in her life already without having to face a bitter disappointment too.'
    'I know. Do you know anything about her aunt?' Felicity inquired on impulse. 'She made some cryptic reference to her, but I thought it best not to follow that up. I was always under the impression that she had no family and that this was why she lived in a foster-home with the Emlyns.'
    'No, that's not quite right. Though for all practical purposes, I suppose it is. The aunt is an aunt by marriage and, as she made abundantly clear at the time, has absolutely no legal responsibility towards Janet. She's a very pretty woman and likes, I believe, to be known as a widow; though in actual fact, I think Janet's uncle divorced her at least a year before he died.'
    'He died too? Not in the same accident, surely? What a tragic family!' exclaimed Felicity.
    'No, he wasn't in the accident. It was a coronary or something. But you're right about its being a tragic family.'
    'Poor Janet!' exclaimed Felicity compassionately. 'I'm afraid she is herself well aware that her aunt firmly rejected her or any claim that could be made on her behalf.'
    'Very likely. Mrs. Morton — her name was also Morton — was that kind of woman. I didn't take to her,' added Mrs. Bush, with what Felicity felt was probably masterly understatement. 'That's partly why I feel one must be specially careful about raising hopes in Janet which could be cruelly dashed. You really think she is sufficiently talented to make this approach to Tarkman?'
    'Yes, I do.' Felicity was firm about that. 'I've tried to warn her